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August 29, 2014

Three Beans Salad & Lemony Millet

Beans come in a large variety of shapes and colours. As part of a mostly plant-based wholesome diet, they naturally find their place in my plate more often than not. However, for most of the year, I would tend to cook them from dried or canned form, so it is really an occasion to celebrate when they are finally in season and you can prepare them and cook them from fresh. In my family, we’ve always loved French beans, and as kids, we used to gather around the table with my mum to help prepare them all together. This year I decided to be a bit adventurous and to try cook fresh white beans too. They were easy enough to prepare and oh so delicious. I now wish I could eat fresh beans all year round!

Here is a recipe for a salad served on a bed of lemony millet. The beans are really the centrepiece of it. Although it will require a few pans and a little bit of time to prepare, it is so worth it. It is not every day you can eat fresh beans after all, and it is therefore worth having a feast, isn’t it?

1.Place the white beans with one whole clove garlic and the sprig of thyme in a saucepan of boiling water. Cook for 20min, then add a good pinch of salt and cook for another 10min until tender. Drain and set aside.
2.Place the green and yellow beans into another large pan of boiling water and simmer for 15min, until tender. Drain, rinse under cold water and set aside.
3.Place the almonds on a baking tray and put into a preheated oven (180°C) for about 10min until golden and fragrant. Leave to cool down, then chop roughly.
4.Place the millet in another saucepan, cover with water and simmer on a gentle heat for about 20min, until cooked and all the water is absorbed. Add the zest and ½ lemon juice and 2tbsp olive oil to the pan and mix well.
5.Place all the beans in a large salad bowl, add the almonds, spring onion, celery and parsley. Prepare the dressing by mixing in a small bowl some salt and pepper with one finely chopped clove garlic, the maple syrup, wholegrain mustard, juice of ½ lemon and 3tbsp olive oil. Pour over the salad and mix well.
6.Place the lemony millet on a large serving plate, top up with the bean salad and serve.